Sunday, December 7, 2008

So what’s the it new accessory in sixth grade? No, it’s not Ugg boots or the latest V.S. ‘Pink’ apparel. It’s not leggings or skinny jeans.

It’s books. And a few books in particular. The ultra-cool book right now is Twilight. I know it’s been out for a while and raging through the middle and high schools, but it’s finally hit my elementary school classroom.

They’ve all seen the movie and now they’re reading the book. But it’s so much more than a book to them – it’s an accessory. It needs to be prominently displayed on their desks at all times. (Bonus points if it’s the movie addition with Robert Pattinson’s photo on the cover). The books go to lunch with them – they take them to band lessons, recess, and specials. First thing in the morning, the girls check each other’s books to see how many pages they’ve read and then they compare their favorite scenes. Some of them are even using post-its to mark pages they want to remember.

Without realizing it, the language from my reading lessons is leaking into their dialogue. They talk about visualizing Edward’s smoldering eyes, and their inferences about the characters’ motivations.

While I’m slightly squeamish about the ideas of these impromptu book discussions continuing with the rest of the series (which is less 6th grade appropriate), I’m thrilled by how excited they are about what they’re reading. So I felt the need to state it publicly that my sixth grade girls are more excited about books than boys, the latest gossip, or the newest style of Uggs - and as I writer and a reader, that makes me feel like our future’s going into good (and literate!) hands.